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At Heard Dat Kitchen in New Orleans, the owners call this sweet and spicy sauce “skeesh sauce,” a term they coined to exclaim how good it is. To prepare it, cook the tomatoes, onion and sugar until gelatinous, then add a generous amount of Buffalo sauce. Want it extra spicy? Add crushed red pepper flakes. The sauce is great on fried chicken, shrimp, fish or tofu. You can toss the proteins into the sauce to coat it, use it as a dip, or as a salad dressing like we did here.
Don’t feel like frying chicken? Check out the frozen chicken nuggets we liked the most: What is the best frozen chicken nugget? We tried 10 brands to find out.
Get ahead: The sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance; to reheat, place it in a saucepan over very low heat and stir constantly until heated through.
Storage: Refrigerate chicken and sauce separately for up to 4 days.
Ingredients
Servings: 4–6
Directions
Active: 45 minutes
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Step 1
Make the sauce: In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar, water, vinegar, onion and tomato. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces to a gelatinous texture, 15 to 20 minutes. While cooking, stir more vigorously and more frequently to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan. The sauce is ready when a spoon dropped into the mixture leaves an empty space at the bottom of the pan. Add the Buffalo sauce and crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and mix well.
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2nd step
(It’s fine to start beating the chicken to fry while the sauce is starting to boil and does not require special attention, but do not start frying until the sauce is finished as the sauce requires special attention at the end.)
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Step 3
Fry the chicken: Place a rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet and place it near your work space. Add the flour to a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon oil and the salt until well combined.
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Step 4
Working a few pieces at a time, add the chicken to the flour, toss until well coated, gently shake off the excess and dip the chicken into the egg mixture, turning to coat. coat. Let the excess drip off; then put the chicken back in the flour for another layer. Place the breaded chicken on a rack. Repeat with remaining chicken.
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Step 5
Line another large rimmed baking sheet with a towel and place it near the stove.
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Step 6
In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add remaining 1 cup oil and heat until it reaches 350 degrees, about 3 minutes. To test, drop a little flour into the oil, it should sizzle vigorously. Carefully place half of the chicken pieces in the pan and cook until browned on one side, 2 minutes. (Use a splatter guard if you have one.) Using tongs, flip the chicken and cook until the second side is browned, 2 to 3 minutes more. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fillet should read 160 to 165 degrees.
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Step 7
Transfer the fried chicken to the towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken.
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Step 8
To serve, divide the arugula into individual plates, top with the chicken fillets and pour the sauce over them. Serve any leftover sauce on the side.
